CHARLOTTE, N.C. (September 13, 2022) – There’s only one Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch is cool with that.
He’s his own man set on continuing to build his racing legacy, and that story opened another chapter with the announcement of his decision to join the RCR team on Tuesday.
As NASCAR fans made their opinions known far and wide on social media, the general consensus is the addition of Kyle Busch to Richard Childress Racing is setting the legendary racing firm up for future championship successes.
“He’s no Dale Sr but he’s the closest we’ve got in the field right now,” remarked Josh D on social media.
“RCR has made a major jump back into being a real Championship competitor for years to come. As much as I don’t like the guys attitude at times, there is no mistaking KB’s talent on a racetrack,” added Scott S.
“I have always admired RCR. And I am a lifetime Earnhardt fan and now I will be pulling for Kyle also,” said Ed F.
“They may of had issues before but Richard Childress knows the man is one Hell of a driver,” said Matt T.
Staging the announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina the message was loud and clear – this is a team that will continue to make history.
Childress, a former racer and 2017 Hall of Fame inductee, has catapulted his team to near legendary status with an eye for competitive talent starting with Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
Not only does Busch bring a history of championship track talent to the table, and quantifiable top marketing value based on the MVP social media post assessment released this week, he brings the ability to mentor up-and-coming drivers like Childress’ grandson and Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Austin Dillon and the next generation of drivers including his own son Brexton, across all three disciplines of the family-friendly sport.
“This is, to me, a historic announcement for RCR. I couldn’t be more prouder to be sitting beside of our next driver at RCR for the (No.) 8 car, Mr. Kyle Busch. It’s a big day for all of us,” shared Childress with pride.
“You know, I look back, and this thing, when Tyler explained to me he was not gonna be back in ’24, my grandson Austin Dillon, he’s here today, driver No. 3, he came to me and he said, ‘Pop-Pop, what do you think about putting Kyle Busch in that car?” and I said, man, that would be a dream.”
Dillion helped facilitate the meeting and the rest is making history.
“We had a lot of work to do to make it happen, so I got to thank Torrey Galida (President, RCR) and Mike Verlander (President, KBM) for all their work. You just don’t know how much goes in with any contract and that one was pretty easy so far, but you know to do that was really big,” said Childress.
General Motors and Chevrolet received a nod of appreciation from Childress for supporting the effort.
“Also I’d like to thank Jim Campbell (VP, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, US General Motors Company) and Eric Warren (GM Director of NASCAR Programs), they’re here today. Mark Reuss (President, GM) and Steve Carlisle (GM Executive Vice President, President GM North America), all of these are supporters from General Motors and Chevrolet that helped make it possible to put Kyle in this car.”
Randall Burnett will crew chief for the No. 8 car.
Details are still being finalized on the inclusion of Kyle Busch Motorsports according to Tuesday’s presser but Childress’ vision to build and strengthen his team was confirmed by the multi-year contract announcement.
“This is one of the most important decisions of my life,” said Busch candidly. “I had to find a place where I knew I could go win races immediately. Collecting trophies is still the main reason why I get up every day and go the race track in order to do this every week. I also needed a place where I felt like I could hit reset and I could be welcomed, just as I am.”
Busch and Childress have a history, making the partnership even more exciting to race fans who see two competitive athletes and businessmen now aligned for a common goal.
“Every option I considered had a lot of it’s own advantages, and that’s why it made it to be such a challenge. That’s why it took a while, but at the end of the day, one team, one owner emerged as the clear choice. The second I sat down with him I knew his company, and his people, and the culture around there had the ability to compete for championships from day one,” said Busch.
Well wishes have come from across the industry including Busch’s current JGR team and Toyota as the announcement settles what has been an ongoing point of discussion throughout the 2022 season, and Busch expressed his appreciation for their support over the past 15 years.
“Coach you had my back when we were there, when I needed it the most, so I thank you,” said Busch, addressing JGR team owner Joe Gibbs, before thanking Toyota.
“You took a chance on a young boy like myself and man, we had a lot of fun along the way. Your unwavering support of me through the years has been awesome. We’ve won countless races across all three series of NASCAR together with truck, Xfinity and Cup Series racing. We’ve had the highest of highs and lowest of lows from championships to broken legs, we’ve been through it all, and we’ve done it all in, you know, winning ways. You guys are always going to be family to me, so I do appreciate you guys,” he said to the Toyota and TRD teams.
Giving a shout out those who’ve helped boost his morale during what has been a challenging time, Busch addressed the fans.
“To ROWDY Nation, I hear ya. Every weekend, trust me, I hear ya. You guys have had some supporting messages and have been very supportive over the last few weeks. You don’t realize how much that encouragement actually means and I mean that, so thank you,” he shared.
“We’re in this together, I’m proud to represent the Nation and every weekend, no matter what I decide, I know that you guys are going to be following me along the way.”
“Lastly I’d like to thank everyone that’s given me their time over the past few weeks. Whether that be past drivers, present drivers, team owners, crew members, team officials, your guys’ confidence in me during this journey has certainly given me a shot in the arm. I’ve rekindled some of those friendships and also made some new ones so I’m thankful to all of you.”
